APPMA News

HGTV to air Global Pet Expo Special

SAVE THE DATE and SPREAD THE WORD! On Saturday, August 19 at 9pm ET/PT, the HGTV channel will be airing a special on Global Pet Expo 2006. The one-hour segment will showcase the latest trends and new ideas in pet care taken straight from the show floor in San Diego. Encourage your friends, family, colleagues and pet-lovers alike to tune in. This special brings excellent exposure to the pet products industry and helps promote the joys of pet ownership as a whole!

Member Resource Guide

The 2006-2007 edition of the APPMA Member Resource Guide was mailed to members earlier this month. This handy resource provides members with an easily accessible guide to everything APPMA-related. In addition to the overview information about each department, the Resource Guide also includes members’ usernames and passwords, as well as their member ID numbers, which provide access to a number of features on the APPMA and Global Pet Expo websites that are exclusive for members.

Pets in the Workplace

Did you know that nearly one in five companies allows pets in the workplace? Leading up to Take Your Dog to Work Day in late June, APPMA conducted a new survey of working Americans, age 18+ years, and their attitudes towards having pets in the workplace. A majority of people polled believe there are benefits to having pets at work such as relieving stress and improving relationships with coworkers, making for a happier workforce and creating a happier work environment. For more information, click here.

New member feature added to APPMA website
For the first time ever, members may now pay their membership dues online at the APPMA website by simply logging in and using a credit card. While online dues payment is not mandatory, it is another way in which APPMA seeks to bring convenience and efficiency to its members. To pay your dues online please click here.

APPMA values its members’ participation in The Association, and hopes you continue to take advantage of the diverse benefits afforded to you by your APPMA membership. To continue The APPMA Advantage in 2007 members must renew their membership by July 31, 2006. If members have any questions, they may contact Member Relations & Business Development at memberservices@appma.org or (203) 532-0000 ext: 521.

Global Pet Expo booth registration

Mark your calendars for the 2007 Global Pet Expo being held from February 22-24 in Orlando, Florida! Member companies who have not registered for a booth should send in their applications with a 50% deposit by July 31, 2006 in order to be assigned booth space based on their membership priority points. For your convenience, exhibitors can now submit booth applications online at www.globalpetexpo.org/exhibitapplication.

Please note: Member companies will not be assigned a booth space if they have not paid their 2007 APPMA membership dues.

APPMA announces Association changes

Board Changes:
Andrew Messinger has been named Chairman of APPMA’s Board of Director’s and Kay Schwichtenberg has been named Vice Chairman.

Department Change:
APPMA’s Member Services department has been renamed Member Relations and Business Development to more accurately depict the full scope of services provided.

Staff Changes:
Bob Vetere, formerly COO and Managing Director of The Association, has been named President of APPMA.

Anne Ferrante has been promoted to Senior Director of Member Relations and Business Development, and Rose Rigano has been promoted to Manager of Member Relations and Business Development.

APPMA’s President, Bob Vetere, speaks to retail investors

In June, Bob Vetere gave a presentation to a group of investors at DeMatteo Moness, LLC, which is based in New York City. The presentation, which was primarily attended by investors from the retail side, focused on rising trends that affect the pet industry, such as baby boomers and young professionals turning to pets in the absence of kids, as well as how these pets are being humanized almost to the point of becoming extended family members. The presentation concluded with a Q&A and follow-up conversations with attendees.

APPMA Welcomes New Members

APPMA is pleased to welcome 22 new member companies to The Association as of June 1. With this most recent approval, APPMA’s membership has grown to include more than 900 companies. For a list of the new members, click here to view the press release.

Scholarship Winners

APPMA would like to congratulate the eight winners of The APPMA Jules Schwimmer Scholarship Award for the 2006-2007 academic year. The recipients are awarded $1,000 each and are chosen based on the students’ impressive combination of academic and non-academic credentials.

The APPMA Scholarship Program was established to aid deserving students who are eligible for the awards based on their parent's employment with an APPMA member firm. In addition, the program allows member firms to establish their own scholarship programs by "piggybacking" on the APPMA Jules Schwimmer awards. This year, two students were awarded piggybacking scholarships by member companies: the Earl F. Smith Memorial Scholarship and the Garmon Corporation Company Scholarship.

Please join us in congratulating the following students:

APPMA Jules Schwimmer Scholarship Award:
Jessica Carter, Hamilton Products, Inc.
Pamela Hall, American Wood Fibers, Inc.
Katie Stevens, American Wood Fibers, Inc.
Kyla Kohagen, PlanetWise Products, Inc.
Minh-Bao Le, Nestle Purina PetCare Company
Erin Long, Grizzly Pet Products, LLC
Brian Timm, Kaytee Products, Inc.
Alexandra Wood, Woodstreem Corp.

Piggybacking Award:

Jessi Smithson of the Earl F. Smith Memorial Scholarship,
Mid-West Metal Products Co., Inc.
Jennifer Jeffers of the Garmon Corporation Company Scholarship,
The Garmon Corp.